What Is the Virtual Reality Toolbox?

The Virtual Reality Toolbox is a solution for interacting with virtual reality models of dynamic systems over time. It extends the capabilities of MATLAB and Simulink into the world of virtual reality graphics. Virtual worlds -- Create virtual worlds or three-dimensional scenes using standard Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) technology. Dynamic systems -- Create and define dynamic systems with MATLAB and Simulink. Animation -- View moving threedimensional scenes driven by signals from the Simulink environment. Manipulation -- Change the positions and properties of objects in a virtual world while running a simulation. To provide a complete working environment, the Virtual Reality Toolbox includes additional components: VRML viewer -- Use either the Virtual Reality Toolbox viewer or, for PC platforms, the blaxxun Contact plug-in for Web browsers to display your virtual worlds. VRML editor -- For PC platforms, use V-Realm Builder to create and edit VRML code. For UNIX or Linux platforms, use the MATLAB text editor to write VRML code to create virtual worlds. Expected Background

To help you effectively read and use this guide, here is a brief description of the chapters and a suggested reading path. As a general rule, you can assume that the Virtual Reality Toolbox on the Mac OS X platform works as described for the UNIX/Linux platforms. This guide assumes that you are already familiar with MATLAB, to write scripts and functions with M-code, and to use functions with the commandline interface Simulink and Stateflow to create models as block diagrams and simulate those models VRML, to create or otherwise provide virtual worlds or three-dimensional scenes to connect to Simulink or MATLAB

In the MATLAB Command Window, enter the name of a Simulink model. For example, enter vrbounce A Simulink window opens with the block diagram for the model. By default, a virtual world opens in the Virtual Reality Toolbox viewer or your VRMLenabled Web browser. If the viewer does not appear, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model. In the Virtual Reality Toolbox viewer, from the Simulation menu, click Block Parameters. A Block Parameters dialog box opens. Note that the Open VRML viewer automatically check box is selected by default for all Virtual Reality Toolbox demos.

If you close the virtual world window, you can display it again by doubleclicking on the VR Sink block. In the Simulink window, from the Simulation menu, click Start. (Alternatively, in the Virtual Reality Toolbox viewer, from the Simulation menu, click Start.) A simulation starts running, and the virtual world is animated using signal data from the simulation.

What Is the Fuzzy Logic Toolbox? The Fuzzy Logic Toolbox is a collection of functions built on the MATLAB numeric computing environment. It provides tools for you to create and edit fuzzy inference systems within the framework of MATLAB, or if you prefer, you can integrate your fuzzy systems into simulations with Simulink. You can even build stand-alone C programs that call on fuzzy systems you build with MATLAB. This toolbox relies heavily on graphical user interface (GUI) tools to help you accomplish your work, although you can work entirely from the command line if you prefer. The toolbox provides three categories of tools: Command line functions Graphical interactive tools Simulink blocks and examples The first category of tools is made up of functions that you can call from the command line or from your own applications. Many of these functions are MATLAB M-files, series of MATLAB statements that implement specialized fuzzy logic algorithms. You can view the MATLAB code for these functions using the statementtype function_name

You can change the way any toolbox function works by copying and renaming the M-file, then modifying your copy. You can also extend the toolbox by adding your own M-files. Secondly, the toolbox provides a number of interactive tools that let you access many of the functions through a GUI. Together, the GU-based tools provide an environment for fuzzy inference system design, analysis, and implementation. The third category of tools is a set of blocks for use with the Simulink simulation software. These are specifically designed for high speed fuzzy logic inference in the Simulink environment. Getting Started